Earth Day 2017 is April 22, a good time to consider the many ways both individuals and organizations can take steps toward greening the planet — whether it’s opting for products made without harmful chemicals, setting up workplace compost programs,…

https://www.flickr.com/photos/138471261@N07/28859673656 We've completed our preliminary audit on the way to full WELL (@WELLCertified) certification. The WELL Building Standard® is an evidence-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring the performance of building features that impact health and well-being. The audit includes testing…

Hospitals and health systems, particularly in the most industrialized settings, make a significant impact on the climate. In the United States alone, health care contributes 8 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, communities are already suffering health impacts…

Interview with Robin Guenther, Architect and Expert in Sustainable Design Robin Guenther doesn’t just design pretty hospitals. She designs spaces that resonate health and well-being from the ground up. As the sustainable healthcare leader at global architecture and design firm…

Environmental health and the health of individuals and communities are strongly connected. As a health care provider, Kaiser Permanente feels a special responsibility to address the impacts of climate change on health and to reduce pollutants that can lead to…

Our guest blogger today is Tracy Hadden Loh with the Rails to Trails Conservancy. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a national membership-based nonprofit dedicated to creating a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier…

There was a “perfect storm” of activity in the nation’s capital last week, and if you weren’t tuned in closely, you might have missed it. This perfect storm was not another Superstorm Sandy. In fact, one might argue that one…

It’s all you’ve ever wanted to know about the greening of health care! In our earlier post, we told you about the recent publication of the book, Greening Health Care, by Kaiser Permanente’s Kathy Gerwig. Today, we begin a series of excerpts from the book — and we start with an introduction and overview from the preface.

The very nature of health care is changing. Health care reform, clinical innovations, electronic medical records, social connectivity, technological advances, baby boomers’ expectations about quality of life, demands for price to align with value, and ways the environment contributes to disease are some of the factors behind the changes. These changes offer profound, new opportunities to address environmental issues across the health care sector and beyond.

In this changing landscape, what does environmentally sustainable health care look like? Let’s take an imaginary visit to a hospital for a routine doctor visit. Approaching the medical facility, the first thing we notice is that the building is smaller than we expected. There is a convenient transit stop at the front entrance. And the parking lot pavement allows rainwater to filter through to be cleaned and returned to the aquifer. We notice that instead of lawns there are native plantings that minimize water and pesticide use.

There is a garden path that takes us by a stream that was brought back to life from where it was hidden in a concrete culvert decades ago. We enjoy the birds that have rediscovered this tranquil place. You notice a labyrinth and take a meditative respite.

Once inside, we’re walking on nonvinyl, nonpolluting material on the carpets and floors, and we notice how much natural light floods into the lobby and hallways from specially designed window glass, shades, and blinds that allow sunlight in while minimizing afternoon heat. The walls are painted in soothing colors and patterns that mimic the adjoining landscape. The energy efficient lighting fixtures glow with a pleasing hue. You see a plaque on the wall indicating that the building is carbon-neutral.

In the bathroom, the toilets and sinks are water-conserving, and the soap does not contain harmful anti-bacterial agents. The paper towels are made from 100 percent recycled, post- consumer waste, and the used towels go into a compost container. In the waiting room, the fabric on the chairs was selected to avoid harmful chemicals that can cause adverse health effects.

In the exam room, your temperature and blood pressure are taken with mercury-free devices. You notice the purple exam gloves used by the clinical staff. These are latex-safe for worker and patient safety, and they are environmentally preferable.

If you are here for a biopsy, your doctor will use a rigid endoscope (for minimally invasive surgery) which is steam sterilized to avoid the use of chemicals that are hazardous to the environment and to staff.

Join the Center for Total Health and the entire Kaiser Permanente family today (and every day) in working to improve the health of our planet. Whether through large-scale efforts, like our partnership with the Alliance for Climate Education, or through…

Yesterday at the Center for Total Health, the U.S. Green Building Council welcomed Arlene Blum, Ph.D., author, mountaineer, and founder of the Green Science Policy Institute, for a discussion of “Six Classes" - chemicals of concern, the science and policy of…